In copending parent application Ser. Nos. 07/510,081 and 07/510,130 novel printing systems and apparatuses are disclosed and claimed wherein the image fixed dielectric layers are laminated or overcoated with a visually clear material. This overcoating provides structural stability to the imaged dielectric layer and also encapsulates the toned image to permanently fix it in place. Another feature of the laminate is that it prevents shrinkage of the dielectric layer and provides increased protection to the layer and image at the separation station. In Ser. No. 07/510,081 the invention involved both a process and apparatus for printing an image on a removable thicker dielectric layer than conventionally used in other systems. The dielectric layer used is at least 0.2 mils thick and is removed from the system after it is imaged, developed, fixed and laminated or overcoated with a layer of the same family resin as used in the dielectric layer or layers. The imaged and overcoated layer may be later attached to a substrate such as a tile or wallpaper base. As noted earlier, this overcoating substantially strengthens the dielectric layer in addition to overcoating the image. In Ser. No. 07/510,130 the invention involved a non-impact printer and process having two or more image-toning stations on a conductive drum. By the use of multiple stations having separate imaging and toning means, complicated image registration structures were avoided. The dielectric layer is advanced through image forming means that are selectively developed and fixed at separate stations. The final colored image is then overcoated and the containing dielectric layer removed from the drum. Both parent applications stressed the need for an overcoating or laminated upper layer.
It has now been found that the overlamination or overcoating step is not essential in the system because it can be done in a post system step. Also, by controlling the formulation of the coating, and by using more rigid dielectric films the shrinkage problem present in the parent applications' materials is no longer a concern. In addition, controlling the processing conditions of the printing system, shrinkage as well as image size can be effectively controlled. Also, choosing a conductive belt which is dimensionally stable but which will preferentially adhere the dielectric film and release it on command significantly improves the original printing systems.
More rigid dielectric films and/or formulations which result in the desired dielectric film after drying or curing can be provided. This can be accomplished in one or through a combination of the following ways: by substantially reducing the plasticizer used in the formulation, selecting resins which have a higher Tg, adding fillers, polymerizing in-situ, etc. Those skilled in the art can effectively formulate or choose any number of materials which will result in film dielectrics useable in this invention.
Therefore, in place of overlamination, structural image and layer stability can be provided by: use of a more rigid dielectric film or coating formulation and/or by using toners comprising polymers that will have substantially increased bonding characteristics and which will adhere to the film through normal fixing means, controlling the heating and cooling of the conductive belt during printing, and choosing a dimensionally stable belt. As noted earlier however, if lamination is desired, it can be accomplished in an after or post system step.
There are also known and used today various marking systems which use electrographic technology. Generally, these systems use a pattern of electric charges which coresponds to a desired image; this is known as a latent electrostatic image or charge. This charge is generally deposited upon a dielectric surface of a drum or belt. This surface bearing the latent electrostatic image is moved through a toner station where a toning material of opposite charge adheres to the charged areas of the dielectric surface to form a visible image. The drum or belt is advanced forward and the toned image is either transferred to a receiving media or fused directly on the charged surface. After the fusing operation in the transfer system, the dielectric can be treated in various ways to clean its surface of residual charge or toner or both. This cleaning can be performed by any known electrostatic and/or mechanical cleaning method.
In electrographic imaging and printing processes both photoconductive insulators and dielectrics have been used, however they are quite different from each other. Photoconductive insulators will only hold an electrical charge in the dark which makes them useful in limited applications such as copiers and the like. Dielectrics, on the other hand, can hold an electrical charge in the presence of visible light which makes them much more practical for use in commercial manufacturing processes such as the present invention.
There are also known many electrostatic printing systems such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,023,731 (Schwertz); 3,701,996 (Perley); 4,155,093 (Fotland); 4,267,556 (Fotland); 4,494,129 (Gretchev); 4,518,468 (Fotland); 4,675,703 (Fotland); and 4,821,066 (Foote). All of these systems disclose non-impact printing systems using electrostatic images that can be made visible as one or multiple toning stations. In those systems ions are projected from an ion-generating means onto the surface of a dielectric layer by a print head such as described by Fotland in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,093 or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,556. Generally, the print head comprises a structure of two electrodes separated by a solid dielectric member, a solid dielectric member and a third electrode for the extraction of ions. The first electrode is a driver electrode and the second is a control electrode; both are in contact with the separating dielectric layer. There is an air space at a junction of the control electrode and the solid dielectric member. A high voltage high frequency discharge is initiated between the two electrodes creating a pool of negative and positive ions in the air space adjoining the control electrode. The ions are extracted through a hole in the third electrode by an electrostatic field formed between the second and third electrodes. In Fotland U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,556 the image-forming ion generator takes the form of a multiplexed matrix of finger electrodes and selector bars separated by a solid dielectric member. Ions are generated at apertures in the finger electrodes at matrix crossover points and extracted to form an image on a receiving member. Grey scale control is achieved by pulse width modulation of the second (finger) electrode as described in Weiner U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,313. While prior art ion projection heads are useful in many applications, they are not adapted for use in systems requiring a relatively thick and hence low capacitance dielectric imaging layer. Generally, systems using ion projection printing technology utilize powder toners. In electrography, liquid development systems are best suited to accurate rendition of grey scale images and high resolution development. The components of toner systems can contaminate the electrodes in prior art ion projection heads and can render them substantially non-functional. When liquid toners are used, contamination of the ion projection cartridge is more of a problem than it is when using traditional dry powder toners. This is because the toner particles are considerably smaller in liquid toners than in dry powder toners (e.g. 1 micrometer vs 25 micrometers) and also because there is a liquid component which evaporates. Thus, there is a high likelihood that the residual toner and/or solvents will migrate to the ion projection cartridge causing a loss of ion emission efficiency or total loss of emission. Incorporation of an air knife prior to the ion projection head can reduce the exposure of the head to contamination. The air knife will prevent exposure of the ion projection head to the toner particles and solvents in liquid toners by purging the space around the ion projection head with solvent free air or other gas. In addition, prior art projection heads are not particularly desirable for grey scale printing. Improved and novel ion projection heads would be required to provide improved results in systems using liquid development systems and for those striving for acceptable grey scale density. Prior art ion projection heads are not only not particularly desirable for grey scale printing, but have substantial limits concerning the number of grey scales that can be achieved. For example, most can manage only to achieve 4 grey scales.
In addition to the deficiencies in prior art print heads, the known ion projection printing systems are not specifically designed to accommodate multicolored printing systems at rapid speeds. Therefore, while ion-generating systems utilize inherently sound technology, there are several major improvements that need to be found before these systems can be used to produce multicolored final products of high print quality and at rapid speeds.